on the 119.`Pfatsrtt. dü hypocrifreofheart;theneuery Saintbath needs ofthisprayer : foreueryman is fubieht eò temptation,and iniquitiein himmay haue the vpper hand. True it is, there are manyweakeneffesand infirmities in Gods children, as wrath and angeryetby howmuch theybee thesnore and the greater, the more and theoftner theyAnger. aretowatch ouer themfelues.Shall they then giue place and fettle themfelues in anger? Sonicman will fay,wc are full of corrupeion,we cannot bueoften fall. Wean(ivere,wee muffbe themore tvarieof our (clues : for itisone thing tobe tempted,and another thing tonourifh and fofter a temptation :for if a man beingprouoked toanger, and let the Sim got downe inhis wrath,can fall atleepe in his anger,andcan beangrie (till when heawa- kethagaine,the fpirit ofGod therebath not the chieferule, but iniquitie bath dominion ouerbun. Wherefore whentemptation arifeth,let vs learne byprayer to preuent the ra- ging ofit. As thus : Lord,Iwill not thus muchcroft my feife, thatI can snatch with finne, Lord I haue corruption in me, but cleanfethou me frommy finne, and let it not vtterly preuaile againftme. ThéSaints ofGod darenottarrievntillthedead blow commeth,butthey (ufpeftthe firft ftrokes offtnne,they Carrienot to beflung to death, butthey feare theleaft buzzing offinne, becau(ètheymay eafilybecarriedout of the way, through the deceiueablenes of finne,and the deceitfulnes of finne may bringhardncsofheart. Wherefore theApostle (Hebr. .) cchorteth thesis toapphieone anotherwith, exhortationswbileft it is called td day,leaft-any of them (hould be hardened through the deceitfulnes offin: And the holie Ghoftfaah,Pfa1.9S.verf 8. Todayifyewtllheare his voyce,hardennotyour hearts.Wherefore theSaint ofGod thus prayeth, that ifbee fhouldgivea little roome and 1mall libertie to his affeélions,Gods grace could not continuein hum. Neither can the children of God; beingout ofthe way,eafily recouer themfelues,aswe may feein Dauid,whothought him- feife afterthat hebad finned toberaft from the prefenceofGod,to beforfaken ot hisholy Spirit,andvale(fe theLord would rafthim into the wombeagaine,vnlefle the Lordwould cat}him into a newmould, therewas nohope that her fhould recouer bimfelfe. The vici lenceof tune is fo impetuous,that a man mayfoone flipand eafily fall,but hardly rife a- gaine. Wherefore the Wi(emanIaith,Prou.zó.r4Bleffed is the manthatfeareth alwaysbut he that hardenethhisheart (hallfall unto coin: that is, b(tifed is he that in euery aóhiou exa: minethhis beart,that befall not. Not withoutcaufe thenhaueI this iealoufie,that when mM are eadie todeceive themfelues they are indanger of beinghardned,becau(è theman ofGod here fo ioyneth both together, that he (bouldhaue his fleps direéled, leaf! thatiniquitie (houldhaue the dominion ouerhien : for I takethe whole verle to bebutonereque!. The fooner wemeetewith temptation, the better we fhall ouetmatch it;the longer weecontinueand let italone,the longer willbeour condiét. Ifwe beginbetimes we fhall eafiliecimquer it; ifwe let ic alone, we(halleafilie be conquered. Forit will cyther get ground of vs, ouerreach vs, and get thevantage, or els wemutt get groundand vantage of it; ifit onetcoune vs, we(hall hardlierecouer our paces.- This is then the wifedome ofGod his fpirit in his children , which men call precifenes, to Vyafcófulatrì fet a warie andbeediewatch ouer éuerie a(fetlion that we thinke, ouereuerie word whichwee fpcake,ouereuerie deedwe doe,leaft webe deceiued,and throughdeceivebe hardened,and fo in iquitie get the dominion ouervs. Thus .wee fee theProphet defirerhthe gift ofpetfeuerance knowledging, that tocontinue is Gods gift,as well as tobegin. Andin that liedefirethfpeciail mercie to perfeucre, heedeclarefhthat maniebeginwell; but afterward iniquitiegetteth thevp. per band,and theyfall away;fo that it isapeculiar madeofGod topreftruehisto theend. And in praying afwellherefor the reformationofhis affeetions,ashee didbeforefor the diteélionof his iudgement,he giueth vs to vnder(ìand,that ifwe purpofe topetfeuere, wemull no le(felooke to ouraffeélions,then to our judgement. Thisthen is a doublegraceof God on whomfoeueri litit to haueour judgementenlightnesand thento haue ouraffetèions touched DireEt myfeet, &c. Asourfeetcarieourbodies, foour affeétions fupport oura&,ìions. trisa good thing to(layoutaffe4ions, when ouroutwardaélionsare rightheordered; and for this taufemention ismade fo often in thebooke of hod oflifting vp our eyes, Of holding vpout hatdi,
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